Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-10-21
ISLAND POND, VERMONT, OCTOBER 81 1887

skeptic, Christmas Evans a skepttc. But
when once with strong hand they took hold
OF the chariot Of the Gospel, they rolled 1t on
with what momentum If address such
no scof. l imp!ead them by the mem
ory of the good old days when at their
mothers knee they said: snow l lay me
down, TO s,eep," and by those days and nights
OF scarlet fever in which she watched you;
giving you the medicine at Just the right
time and turning your pillow when it was
hot, and with hands that many years ago
turned to dust soothed away your pain, and
with voice that you will never bear again,
unless you Join her In the better country,
told you to never mind, for you void feel
better by and by, and by that dying couch
where she looked so pale and talked so
slowly, catching her breath between the
words, and you felt an awful Loneliness
coming over your soul; by all that, beg
you to come back and take the same relg-
ion. 1t was good enough for her. 1t is good
enough for you. Nay, ! have better plea
than that. plead by all the wounds, and
tears, and blood, and groans. and aconies.
and death throes of the Son OF God, who APP
proaches you this moment with torn brow,
and lacerated hand, and whipped back, and
SAYING: "Come unto me, all We who are weary
and heavy laden, and will give you rest
Again there is a field Of usefulness but
little touched occupied by those who are
astray in their habits. All northern ma
tions, like those Of North Au1erlca and Eng
land and Scotland, that is In the colder
climates, are devastated by alcohol
ism. They take the fire to keep up
the warmth. In southern countries, like
not tempted to fiery liquids The great Ro.
man armies never drank anything stronger
than water tinget with vinegar, but under
our northern climate the temptation to heat
ing stimulants is most mighty, and millions
succumb. When mans habits go wrong
the church drops him, the social circle drops
him, good influences drop him, we all drop
him. OF all the men who get of the track but
few ever get on again. Near my summer
residence there is e-saving station on the
beach. There are all the ropes and rockets,
the boats, the machinery for getting people
off shipwrecks. Summer before last I saw
there fifteen or twenty men who were break
fasting, after having just escaped with their
lives and nothing more. Up and down our
coasts are built these useful structures, and
the mariners know it. and they feel that IL
they are driven into the breakers there will
be apt from shore to come a rescue The
churches OF God ought to be so many life saw
ing stations, not 80 much to help those who
are in smooth waters, but those who have been
sbipwrecked. Come, let US run out the life
hoatsl And who win man themi We do not
preach enough to such men; We have not
enough faith in their release. Alas II when
they come to hear us we are laboriously try
ing to show the difference between sublap-
sarianism and supralaprarianism while they
have thousand vipers of remorse and de-
spair coiling around and biting their immortal
spirits. The church is not chiefly for goodish
sort Of men whose proclivities are all right,
and who could get to heaven praying and
singing In their own HON s. 1t Is on the
beech to help the drowning. Those bad
cases are the cases that God likes
to take hold Of Hs can save a
big sinner as we'll as small sinner,
and when a man calls earnestly to God for
help he will 20 out to d2liver such a one II
it were necessary God would come down
from the sky, followed by all the artillery OF
heaven and 100000 angels with drawn
swords. Get 100 such redeemed men In each
of your churches, and nothing could stand
before them, for such men are generally warm
hearted and enthusiastic. No oformal prayers
then. No heartless singing then. No cold
conventionalisms then.
Furthermore. the destitute children OF the
street offer field of work comparatively un-
occupied. The uncared for children are in
the majority in Brooklyn and most Of our
cities. When they grow up if unreformed,
they will outvote your children and they W II
govern yoar children. The whisky ring will
hatch out other whisky rings and grog
shops will kill with their horrid stencil public
sobriety unless the church of God rises up
with outstret"hed arms and enfolds this dying
population in her bosom. Public schools can.
not do it. Art galleries cannot do it. Black
wells Island cannot do it. AlIpshouses can
not do it. New York Tombs and Raymond
Street Jail cannot do It, Sing Sing cannot
do it. Church of God, wake up to your mag
niicent mission. You can do it Get some
where, somehow to work.
The Prussiun cavalry mount by putting
their right foot into the stirrup, while ths
American cavarymen mount by putting
their left foot into the stirrup. I don't care
how you mount your war charger IL you
only get into this battle for God and get there
soon, right stirrnp, or left stirruP, or
no stirrup at all. The unoccupied fields
are all around us, and why should
we build on another mans foundationi
/ That God has called this church to
! especial work no one can doubt. Its his
| tory has been miraculous. God has helped us
at every step, and though the wheels of its
history have made many revolutions, they
have all been forwarded, and never backward
and now with our borders enlarged and with
important re-enforcements we start on new
campaign, At Sharon Springs, nineteen
years ago walking in tho park, Iasked God, II
he had any particular work for me to do, tC
| make it plain and would do It, be revealed
| to me the style of church we were to have, an
he revealed to me the architecture, and he re
vealed to me the modes of worship, and ht
revealed to me my work and, as far as in my
| ignorance and weakness have seen the right
way, 1 have tried to walk in it
| We decided that we want d 1t {
soul saving church. and it has beer
! almost constant outpOuring OF the Holy
Ghost. Ye powers of darkness, ye devils II
hell, we mean TO snatch from your dominion
other multitudes. if God will help us. l hav,
| heard Of what was called the "thunderinf
LEGION 1t was in tJ9 a part of the Romal
army to which some Christians belonged
and their prayers, it was said, were an
swered by thunder and lightning and hal
aud tempest. which overthrew an rlHadini
army aud saved the empire. And woul'
to God that this church may b, s.
mighty In prayer and work that it would be
come laundering legion before which th
forces of sin might be routed and the gates
hell be made to tramble Now that the autumn
has come, and the gospel ship has been re
paired and enlarged, it Is time to launch he
Tor another voyage. Heave away now, lads
shake out the reefs In the forotopsail Come
o heavenly wind, and fill the canvasl Jesu
aboard will assure our safety. Jesus on tn
sea will beckon us forward. Jesus on th
shining shore will welcome us into harbor
"And so 1t came to pass that they all escape'
safe to land"